Front Burner

Today, the Liberal and NDP platforms are dissected in the first of our two part series in preparation for voting day. Power and Politics host Vassy Kapelos joins host Jayme Poisson to bring together what you need to know to cast an informed vote. Stay tuned for the Conservative/Green edition on Friday.

The United Nations is facing a severe shortage of cash, according to Secretary-General António Guterres. The cash flow problem is so dire that the UN is begging member states to pay their dues and have started austerity measures. Today on Front Burner, CBC’s UN reporter Melissa Kent explains why the UN is going broke and what the United States has to do with it.

With one week to go before Canadians head to the polls, words like “strategic voting” and “coalition government” are dominating the news. CBC poll analyst Éric Grenier answers listener questions about Canada’s electoral system.

Journalist Robyn Doolittle has a new book out called ‘Had it coming.’ It’s been two years since the first stories alleging sexual abuse by Harvey Weinstein were published, sparking an unprecedented conversation about sexual assault. Now, what’s fair in the age of #MeToo? It’s a question Doolittle tackles in the book.’ Today on Front Burner, she talks about the #MeToo movement, what came before it, and why she thinks we need to talk about consent as a moral and ethical issue, not just a legal one.

A Turkish military assault on Kurdish fighters is underway in northeastern Syria. It was made possible by a U.S. decision to withdraw American military personnel in that area. Today on Front Burner, CBC Moscow correspondent Chris Brown discusses how Russia, a country with a large military presence in Syria, looks to fill the gap left by the United States. He talks about his recent trip to Syria, escorted by the Russian military, on what he says was, "effectively, a propaganda tour."

Hamilton, Ontario, has the most hate crime per capita in the country. Along with that, it has ongoing weekly protests at city hall by members of the yellow vest movement and far-right groups. CBC News reporter Samantha Craggs has been covering this story in Hamilton, as part of an ongoing series called “Exposing Hate”. Today on Front Burner, she explains why Hamilton has become a flashpoint for hate in Canada.

The last time Salman Rushdie won the Booker Prize, it was 1981. It's been 24 years since his last nomination. After his new book, Quichotte, came out, he was pleasantly surprised to find himself back on the list of nominees. "It's like, finally!" says Rushdie. "They remembered I was around." The new book is a retelling of Don Quixote, with an Indian-American salesman travelling across the United States on a quest. His journey touches on issues like the opioid crisis, our addiction to reality TV, and the end of the world. Rushdie joins Jayme Poisson to give his unique perspective on these hectic times.

On Monday night, the six major federal party leaders faced off in an English-language debate for the only time in the 2019 election campaign. And the stage was packed: There were more leaders on stage in Gatineau, Que., than at any other point in Canadian political history. Today on Front Burner, Power & Politics host Vassy Kapelos on the debate's highs, lows and takeaways.

This weekend, a new Joker movie hit theatres, polarizing critics and audiences with a gritty take on the DC super-villain’s origin story. The film also caught the attention of intelligence and law enforcement agencies who fear it could trigger public violence. Today on Front Burner, film critic Tina Hassannia unpacks the iconic character and the different sides of the rhetoric surrounding the movie. Warning: There won’t be major spoilers, but this episode will cover some of the film’s plot.

This week — as part of the CBC series Face to Face — five undecided voters got five minutes each with federal party leaders to ask the questions that matter most to them. The National's Rosemary Barton hosted the events, and followed up with questions for Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh. Today on Front Burner, Barton reflects on what she learned from the exchanges, and what they might tell us about what's at stake with the upcoming federal election.